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The Walk

I am going to walk, from the south boundry of Wollemi National Park, to the North boundry. By air its about 150klms in a straight line. I am not going to use any walking trails because there are none going North South, i am not going to follow a river, but i will cross a river several times per day. I want to climb up and down ridge line following a compass bearing, as much as i can. I am not taking any maps, i will just get to the end, when i get there. I know that sounds a bit hit or miss, but if it all goes to sh*t on me, 3 days walk east and i will be on a tar road. I am just doing some dry runs now sorting out my gear, and all that, which has been heaps fun. If there is any intrest i will post about my gear, and how it worked, or didn't. I am going to buy a cheap camera, so i can post some pics. I know 150 ks sounds like a walk in the park, but some days i think i will be doing well, to make it 4 or 5 ks as the crow flys. Cheers Peter

Good luck and be safe. Last year I had planned to walk the Fla trail then had an accident that makes it unlikely I'll ever be able to. Enjoy it while you can and live it to the fullest but be prepared and let others know where you plan to be.
D.O.M.

Sorry, but you sound woefully unprepared. I don't understand not having a map. If you get turned a few degrees that 3 day hike if things go bad might be 4. There are some basics that everyone should carry no matter where they are. I hope you at least left a plan with someone reliable and gave them instructions on when to contact the authorities if you fail to show up.

Why the desire to go out without the basic equipment that could possibly cause your trip to end early or in disaster. While I admire your determination and desire, you planning and forethought are lacking. Is the goal to get from the south boundary to the north boundary, or is it to go without the equipment that could potentially make your trip successful? I understand the minimalist mindset, but a map coupled with your compass doesn't violate that. Good luck I guess.

A bearing of 65deg to 105 deg will put me on a tar road in 3 days or under. The trick is, to make your OH SH*T route very easy. Why people try and follow a bearing, that few deg one way or the other, will put your into the sh*t is beyond me. I don't think i am Woefully under prepared, got shelter, food, water, navigation, sence of adventure. What more do you need? I think it's all to easy, to say i won't do that just in case. You end up not doing anything. I am not doing this just on flour, & salt. The reason i am not taking maps, the ground i am going over is, very hard to nav, so its best to follow a easy bearing than try and pin point yourself with a topo map. When at the end of the day, all you need to know, is which mountain you need to head for, in the morning.Cheers Peter

I would like to add i am and have been doing overnighters, with the gear i am taking. So i can fine tune it, before i find myself in a mess. Worse case i just hit the Epirb. When i step into the bush i will have enought gear/food to keep me going for 4 weeks. I don't see how that in unprepared, i have not even posted what gear i am taking yet. Because i am getting a camera, and i was going to post it all up with pics. Kind of like a before, and after pics. Cheers Peter

I don't see how that is unprepared, I have not even posted what gear i am taking yet.

In another thread you talked about taking damper. In this thread you did not offer any additional information on food, gear or epirb. So our concern was your safety based on what you've told us. Had you told us in the beginning of the thread that you were going to post a gear list or otherwise indicated more information was to come we might have been a bit less critical. My only concern was your safety.

I am not taking any maps, i will just get to the end, when i get there. I know that sounds a bit hit or miss, but if it all goes to sh*t on me

an equipment list, the fact you were going to be carrying 4 weeks of food along with an epirb for emergencies would have elicited a different response from a few. We really ARE concerned with your safety and want you to have a successful trip.

The only way I'd be able to carry 4 weeks of food is put wheels on the backpack. Either that or plan on feeding a bird. 4 weeks of food for me would probably weight 800 pounds. Oops, I forgot about the ice cream. 1200 pounds.

In the other thread i was asking IF you could live, & walk on flour, and for how long. The reason why i was asking, was because, IF {i might take more this is just a number for now} i was to take a total of 8kg of food, i don't want to waste 3kg of that on flour, if it's got no nutrition in it. Australian history Burke & Wills starved to death eating every day. I have no plan to do the same. I was just thinking maybe in American history there might of been times, people would have had to live on flour, i thought i would ask. I know at the end of the day, you guys are only concerned with my safety. Which i appreciate THANK YOU everybody. It is tragic when you hear about people watching some survival show, then going out into the bush, and dying due to lack of gear. I know not taking Topo maps might sound strange, but i study the area before i go. Pick what bearing would be best, and follow it, with a short cut bearing in mind. The area i am going into has a Perimeter of tar road, so as long as i trust my compass, and follow my bearing, i will hit a tar road. There are fire trails heading East west that i will cross, this will give me a good idea, of how far i have travelled, and how far i have to go. In the past i have seen people walk off one topo map, and not relize it. Then panic that the map was wrong. Thanks Again Cheers Peter

Peter shooting an azmeth is easy. Chosing the best way to get from point A to point B is not! There is more to land navigation than just following the compass arrow.

Topograph maps will show you when you are headed to a steep ravine, cliff or forcing yourself to cross a river 15 times a day when a track 1/2 mile away will avoid those efforts. It will also show existing trails and clear areas of easier walking that you may not see from ground level. If I were planning a trip of this nature today I would want a GPS as part of the basic load.

By not taking maps, which weigh only a few ounces and will not add to your load you are ignoring both safety and the success of the scout. Studying a map before you go is not the answer unless you have idedic memory or you are crossing the dunes of the Arabian sand sea. The same computer you are using right now will allow you to print a map tailored to your journey. A strip of paper showing best route, campsites, tarrain features.

You might wish to rent or buy a personal locator beacon before you leave. Hitting that "tar road" from the middle of nowhere in three days might be a problem with an injury.

10 years ago I hiked half the AT here in the states. The longest streach with no resupply is through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, about 70 miles through that section. (about the same distance you are facing) We were required to show one meal for each day before we were allowed to enter the park, basically 10 days of food, first aid gear and sleeping gear. The average load out through that section, with water, was 50-60 (30Kg?) pounds.

Were I doing this "walk" I would plan on at least one pound of food per day and would prefer two pounds. I would make half that food home-made jerky and the other half high-carb or High-fat bulk food. With jerky one is reducing the weight by 2/3 by removing the water. 1 pound jerky=3 pounds fresh meat. I would want the bulk food a bit more varried than flour, corn meal or Ramen noodles. Dehydrated soups, pasta, mac& cheese, instant oats, Mountain House meals will break the manotney, espically with the jerky broken up and added to the meal. (As an old southern boy I would want some instant gritts) I also add instant coffee to my pack, you might prefer tea.

Additionally I would plan on 10-12 pounds of WATER as part of the load out with no less than 4 liters carried at any time, unless you are in a well watered area and I would still want 2L on me at all times.

Last edited by kyratshooter; 04-07-2012 at 08:36 PM.

I chose education as a career and spent 40 years fighting ignorance and stupidity. Apparently my life was wasted!

Gday Kyrat great post Thank you. I am not going anywhere without coffee. I am picking my bearings from 1 fire trail to the next useing google earth as guide. My 150 klms by air could end up 250klms by foot. I am going to budget on 25 days 10klms by land per day. I know i will double that some days which is fine getting out early is heaps better than a mad rush at the end {thats when things go bad}. I know that land very well, can dig up a feed of mussels & greens very fast, heaps of bass to. I am not going to live off the land, but i will cook up some mussels, and graze on some greens along the way. Cheers Peter
BTW I am getting a camera ASAP soon as i do, i will start postin pics of my gear. I will be more than open to all opinions good, and bad. Cheers again Peter

She can be hard going, but i love finding cool rock overhangs/caves. Because it's a National park, i can't take a fixed blade knife, just a folder. I have done a few mods to a SAK to take. I have filed down the phillips head into awl, and cut the blade down into a sheeps foot.
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